STANDING UNITED AGAINST CHALLENGES

More often than not, crises and challenges bring out the best in people.

When Singapore was hit by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic and global financial crisis in 2003 and 2008 respectively, Singaporeans stood united and supported the difficult measures - including the quarantine of contacts and shorter work weeks - that were needed to deal with the crises.

"These two crises give us the confidence that our Total Defence campaigns are bearing fruit," said Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, in his speech at the Total Defence (TD) Day Commemoration Event held at Republic Polytechnic (RP) on 15 Feb.

He cited examples of Singaporeans rallying together during the SARS period to deliver food and essential items to the quarantined families, and to thank the healthcare workers by baking cookies voluntarily for them.

"Singaporeans have demonstrated that... they will stand together and step up spontaneously when our collective well being and stability is threatened," he noted.

On this year's campaign theme Will You Stand With Me, which calls for unity in overcoming adversities, Dr Ng urged Singaporeans to continue to "strengthen our resolve as a people and a community bonded by a spirit of giving, looking out for others and rallying together, to defend our country and build a strong home and place that we can love and treasure."

To commemorate TD Day, a host of activities including exhibitions, a mini adventure challenge and interactive displays by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force were held at RP.

Speaking to the media after his tour of the exhibition, Dr Ng commented that Singapore's TD infrastructure and support was strong. He said: "I think our Total Defence campaigns have helped that. But there is never room for complacency and you never know when the next disaster like SARS strikes. So I hope we can be better prepared when the next one hits us."

At the event, Dr Ng also presented medals to the participants who completed the TD Challenge, a key component of this year's campaign. In total, 146 Singaporeans from all walks of life - students, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and SAF personnel - took part in the one-day adventure challenge on 15 Feb.

The 40km Challenge, which started at the Singapore Discovery Centre and ended at RP, saw participants taking on a series of physical and mental tasks at eight key checkpoints in the Western part of the island. The checkpoints included the Civil Defence Academy, Murai Urban Training Facility and Kranji Reservoir Park.

The 26 teams were awarded points for the successful completion of each task. The points were matched by a monetary value, and the money was donated to charities supported by the Community Chest. At the end of the Challenge, a total of $223,838.47 was raised.

Eighteen-year-old participant, Alicia Ng, said it was fun and interesting to work with teammates from diverse age groups and backgrounds. "We exchanged different perspectives and tapped on one another's strengths."

At one of the checkpoints, Ms Ng's team was tasked to build a structure with straws that could hold a golf ball for a minute. They communicated candidly and experimented with various feasible suggestions to find the best method, said the student from Pioneer Junior College.

"This experience showed me the importance of teamwork and unity in solving problems," she added.

Sharing the same sentiment was Ms Ng's teammate, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Jayakumar Pradeep Kumar, a store supervisor from 11th Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence Battalion. He said it was easier to work as a team rather than as an individual, because he and his teammates contributed their strengths in different ways.

"The senior citizens have a wealth of experience, the students are creative, the people with disabilities are supportive, and we (the SAF personnel) can plan for missions that are required to be completed within a time limit," said the 33-year-old.

The results of the N.E.mation! 7, an annual animation competition for students, were also announced at the event. An important component of the TD campaign, the competition is in its seventh year running and attracted participation from more than 2,200 students. Based on the theme Together We Overcome, they developed stories about how Singaporeans stood together to overcome challenges.

Among the 10 finalists, team We Want To Go To USA from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School was awarded the top prize, while Madeforsam from Dunman High School and All These Ships from Methodist Girls' School emerged first and second runners-up respectively.

Explaining the inspiration behind the clip, which touches on Singapore's low birth rate and ageing population, 14-year-old Frances Severino said: "The population issue is a challenge that Singapore is facing right now... Total Defence covers five aspects, two of which are military defence and economic defence. If we do not have a stable population, we will not have enough people to form a strong armed force and workforce."

Said Dr Ng of this year's winning entry: "It is (an animation) clip after my own heart. Total Defence also means getting married and producing babies! The students at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School have got it right. (We) have to create a Singaporean core."

Every year, TD Day is commemorated on 15 Feb, the day Singapore fell to the Japanese during World War II in 1942. It reminds Singaporeans that security is not to be taken for granted, and that everyone has a part to play in defending the nation.

For more information about TD activities, log on to www.standwithme.sg. TD campaigns are organised by Nexus, a department in the Ministry of Defence which plays a key role in developing a shared sense of nationhood among Singaporeans.